Sluice-box trap



May 15, 1928.

F. s. MORGAN sLUIcE- Box TRAP Filed July 27, 1926 Patented May 15, 1928.

S. MORGAN, OF l BERKnnY; elALInonna i f f Penman-Boxmeer. l A

lApplie ation'ifire dj July-'27 'This invention-relates to Yaniapparatusyf'or separating inefmetalparticlesy and the'l like fromV sand/and fore pulp, etc., fandparticul'larly toa trap to be' 'Iused in conjunctionwvith -sluice' boxes-101' AfWithf the; type f of apparatus shown inl -my former patent; entitled Appafratus ifor separating fine m'et'al' particles 'from' sand land'rore 'pulpa Patent ANumber '1,557,499,2issued @deberian-,11925;

y The -objectffof the present invention-.isj'to f generally improve* and vsimplify the'oonstrucf tion andl operation "of traps jof the character n packing of'` concentratesfis avoided to f pro- *vide trap which; presents a' comparatively flarge area f consistingl"of1 a -"plurall-ity of in'-l clined surfaces overewhichthewaterand ima- "terial toi -be con'centratedisdirected;y lto provide# afbafHe' memberfwvhiclr lco-oierates With thefinclinedlsurfa'ces and whereby reversal promote precipitation or lodgin'gfotfjconcentrates to, provide 'traptv'vhichmay`v be lined with fa f resilient material fsuch' l"as Pjsponge rubber or 'theillike' to retain theprecipltate'd concentrates; to 1 provide means fwhereb'y 1 a l boiling-factionfand disl'odglnent't ofx 'the con- "centra-tes is sbstantially: prevented and iurther 'to provide a trap Which 'isffaccessible and may be readily cleanedfrom ti-rnetoV time.

'trationi'n the .-accompanying drawings in which: i

Figure 1- fis a side elevation :offalsluicefbox :z5 Vshowing theapplicati'oivof thetrap,

Figure 2 islV an @enlarged central 'Fverftical *longitudinal sectio'i'i-r o a 'portion *of I the sluice'and Eone of the traps,v

Figure 53 is-:af fcrosssectiom ofi thek sluic'e Referring to the 1 drawings i in detail 1' and particularly to 'Figures .1, amiA 2,' "FAW, findic'ates -a standardfform of :sluicet-box censistv Isection fis preferablydisposedon an angle ioffappneximately SOOfWithfrelation to `the bottom section g2 of'. the sluice, While the end. 'sectiony -8 fisdisposed on i an i angleof substantiallySo wvithi relation to the'. bottom section 'Hcbii'thevsluc'e.y 1 i *V- i i 5 Formed in' theiside sections 3 yand 4. ofthe; sllnce Hboxare i two #or anoreparallel vertically disposedi grooves 9 and: adapted tov `be' freceiv'ed iand f. guided by the:grooves` isla rbaiile; plate, generally indicated .at :10; This fbaiile 'plate l 'extends crosswise of: the `:.sluicel `-:box 'andthe' trap (Pvand kits:lowerr'portio'n. is slightly' 'elevated' with relation; tothe bot-LA f'tomsection' 5 offthe trap' toi forma discharge Passagen.. Mounted on theorwardl or'upp 'the baileefplate is' a-delecting plate' `1'2 and #mounted on the lower1 side :of the 'platei an 'er )side of r`rangle mbar 13y tofxvhic'liis" secured 'fa sheet rubber vfla. 214.

rhefba e plate io idivi-degfiiewopening eB @openings-suchastindicateda at 115 and '16.

lThe,.Wat'er 'and material-tolbe vconcentrated i t v.flow doivnwar'dflyithrough the sluiceboX' in 1.

ss .under direction :or fio'w lf'fwaterY''orimate'rfial "is reversed as shown by thearrovv. The Water n and niateri'al is again r yrever'esd the zt'bot- \'tornesection'rQfo"ther sluice box `and by the eef inclinedffsection "6 wand 'is `thus -'directed through-the opening lli below-'the baille mern- -beragainst the 'end sectionHSrandf iszfthen-di` f rected upwardlyithrough Y thefopening 16 inA .the flower 4'portiorro' the' sluice box ,'"ront Where it continues to'ilowy'tothe.nextltrap t y chamber for. t to." a {lpoint of discharge* as @the VVcasetmayibe.' o 4 f .Inl actual opera y f s'lui'ce bcr.` is` preferably: linedfvvithy a sponge rfnub'ber i matting -ffsuch indicated at 1'7 f 'This `matting'oi-'nisla concentrating surface, 5.

-andfretainingvfinefmetal particles for conr f l centrates. The rubber matting is held down fbysidefcl'ea-ts '181 Wedges y19,'asillusj trated' in' Figures Qiand. The bottoni` sectrap -zchamber :are also lined f-with sponge rubber as shown. at 20 'and any concentrates` which pass the'inatting in the upper portion of the sluiceare thus"`given anv opportunity to lodge-inthe trap chamber'.l Such a lodging action is promoted due" to fthe reversal of flow of water and material therethrough and the eddy actions set up and, experience has shown that practically'all concentratesescaping from the sluice proper are` caught and lodged in the sponge matting disposed in the trap chamber. The velocityflofxthe water and material passing through the trap chamberniay be regulated to a more oriless extent by an adjustable cross plate 22V and also by verticall adjustment of the balilemember or yplate 10, as suchadjustment increases y or decreasesthe area of the opening 11.v g j 1 c The cross plate 22 is nothingmore orless .than a flat plate :laid on the bottom ofthe ysluice box, at the forward edge of thevfopening 15,v The plate may be extended; by push' ing it forward of the sponge rubber matting or by pushin vit back yandunder the matting.

- The-area of t ieopening is in other Words v increased or decreased andthistogether vwith the opening 11 controls, to a largeextent, the

velocity.v and* :flow of water and'` material vthrough the trap chamber. i i The platef22 is secured by the matting in the cleats18 and wedges 19 and assuch may 'l vvelocity of the` water is also controlledy to a be readily adjusted from time `to time. i The more or. lessextent by the sheet rubber ap 14, but itsrmain actionis `that of a throttle `member toprevent-boilingaction in the part j .of the trap indicate'dat 16;@ yAnysuitable `vertical adjustment may be provided in lconnection vwith the baflle'platej 10.' vInv-.this instance, ythevertical edges. of thefplate are j perforated .to receiveapins or .screws 24.-

These screws restfon across bar/25 and by raising or lowering theplate 10.*:and inserting thel screws .asimple andv ready adjust- In act-ual operation,` itlhas beenfoundthat the sponge rubber matting placed in the trap vforms a resilient lining ywhichy not Lonly' retains such concentrates as may escapetrom the sluiee proper,but 1t also servesthe func- 1 tion` of Vaerating the water and-pulp. This ycombined action or` resiliency and aeration prevents packing in the trapV and it insures retention ofthe concentrates or Yvalues and furthermore, permits large tonnages of material to be handled.v f The several',adjustments provided insure ythe proper vflow and velocity' for ldifferent grades of material handled, thereby taking care ofc-sands and other materials which may u contain concentrates or other valuable prodvnets.,

The platesv 12 .and22 fitted near'thebottom of thel sluice box and projected over theap-k crt-ure 15 performtwo functions, first that of regulating the lowof water andsecond'ly that is, it retardsthe flow ofthe pulp to such an extent that the values Vmay settle in the pores orljcells oll the sponge lrubber andthe valve forjlap furthermore, prevents any boil ingV action: which might dislodge the values. -l't shouldalso be noted thatfthe sidewalls ,Tief the 'trap `chamber are-.provided with cleanup outlets such as shown atBO. Cleaning up-oan apparatus ofi this character is V:effected by-applying aneedle .spray of water underhmoderate pressure to thejsurlace ofjthesponge rubber matting indicated at 17.` Thisspray ,applied to the surface .boils outthe-value'jfrom one cell'to the next until all ofthe values- `are discharged inthe trap chamber. The rubber, i matting, contained mayrberellioved by litingout Athecbaitleplate Y v1() and the plates 12and14g-attached thereto andany values thatremain may be washed out throughthevopenings,30 vThe eleaning upoperatioirr isfaccordinglysimple and quickly accomplished and aninducement is While certain' featuresof the; presentinvention are more orlessspecitically described and illustrated I wish itgunderstood"that fvaryingchangesmay be resorted to Within thescope ,oftheappended claim, also; that the materialsand linishotthe lseveral parts employed may .besuch fas .different usesl or applicationsmaydemand rHaving thusdescribed my invention, what I claiml and desire to secure byLetters Patent is :-v v

The combinatifni` with a sluice box having a transverse 'openi'ngzformed' in its bot-k` ,tonno-f a trap box disposed belowthe sluice 'bottom and 1n communi-cation with the transverse opening, .ai baille plate disposed transversely of ythe Vsluice box, and vextending downwardly through the opening in the trapasaid plate forming an inletv to the trap `on its upper side and a discharge for the. trap Aon its lowerside, `:meansfwherebythe baffle plate' maybe vertically adjusted,- fa horizonthus madeto cleanup oftener than is usu- `allytheicasef-I I loo tally disposed flexible rubber flap attached i adjustable plate extending c-rozsswise of the sluice andm'ovable to lor away' froml the u`p crease the area-,ot the inlet to the trap.,

FRANK s. Viioneitit I ltothe lo'wer'side ofthe baffle plate and covvering theldischarge sidey oit' t-he trap, andan per side 'of the balevplate to increase or de- 

